Frenchman, 71, Attempts to Cross Atlantic Ocean in a Barrel Relying on Only Currents and Winds

According to multiple outlets — and his Facebook page — the 71-year-old Frenchman spent months building a barrel-shaped capsule, and on Wednesday, he boarded the vessel off the coast of El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands. He is attempting to reach the Caribbean, which will require him to traverse most of the Atlantic Ocean, relying only on the current and wind, The New York Times reports.

He anticipates he will have to spend about three months in the 10-foot-by-6-foot-8-inch capsule before reaching his destination.

Jean-Jacques Savin

GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty

As of Thursday, Savin was still contemplating where he would come ashore. His final options are Barbados or the French islands of either Martinique or Guadeloupe — to make the arrival paperwork easier, he said.

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